1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waste bale press of predominantly horizontal construction, i.e., a bale press having a press plate which acts in the horizontal direction. The press is used for manufacturing bound bales of predominantly organic waste materials, such as paper, cardboard, wood boxes or other used packaging materials. The press includes a press shaft with a filling shaft in front of the press shaft and a drive portion arranged in front of the filling shaft. The drive portion includes two hydraulic cylinders which are arranged so as to intersect in the basic position thereof and whose free piston rod ends act on the press plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the purpose of reducing the structural length of presses of the above-described type, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,856 discloses in connection with a vertically acting press to arrange in the drive portion on the side of the head two intersecting hydraulic cylinders which are slightly vertically inclined in the basic position thereof, wherein the free piston rod ends of the hydraulic cylinders are connected in an articulated manner to the press plate.
It is apparent that such a cylinder arrangement is capable of applying only relatively small pressing forces onto the material to be compacted; this is because, as a result of the shallow cylinder arrangement, the force components acting on the side walls of the press shaft are over the greatest portion of the pressing stroke greater than the actual pressing forces acting in the vertical direction.